Bowling and auto racing seem like opposite ends of sport, but they've crossed paths on the speedway more than once. The bowling industry spent years sponsoring NASCAR teams and races, and in 2019 that partnership produced one of the strangest records in either sport. (If you're looking for a bowling center with "Speedway" in its name, there are several, including Speedway Lanes in New Bremen, Ohio, but this page is about the racing connection.)
Go Bowling in NASCAR
"Go Bowling" is a marketing campaign run by the US bowling industry to encourage people to visit their local center. Instead of buying TV ads alone, it sponsored NASCAR, putting bowling in front of race fans across the country. The Go Bowling logo appeared on cars, most visibly Aric Almirola's No. 10 Ford Mustang with Stewart-Haas Racing, and the brand sponsored races, including the Cup Series race at Watkins Glen, run as "Go Bowling at The Glen."
Race weekends often included bowling tie-ins: drivers visiting local centers, bowling challenges at the track and promotions for fans.
The 140 mph strike
In September 2019, at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course (the "Roval"), Almirola drove his Go Bowling Mustang down the front stretch while two-handed PBA star Jason Belmonte sat in the passenger seat. At about 140 mph, Belmonte rolled a ball out of the car toward a rack of pins set up on the track. It was a strike, and it was recognized as the fastest bowling strike on record.
For comparison, a typical recreational bowler releases the ball at around 13 to 15 mph, and pros at 17 to 19 mph. The ball speed calculator shows where you sit, and average pro bowling speed explains what's normal.
Why speed matters on a real lane
On an actual lane, faster isn't automatically better. Speed has to match your rev rate and the oil pattern: too fast and the ball skids through the break point without hooking; too slow and it hooks early and loses energy. See bowling ball speed for how to find the right balance.